We started as a land conservancy, but quickly learned that to save this place meant looking beyond our scenic landscapes.

We launched a unique approach to save our iconic wild lands.

A dedicated group of volunteers formed the Seattle King County Land Trust and introduced a new approach to land conservation—one that bridged the gap between public and private entities. It worked.

1989

To save our wild lands, it became clear we also needed to protect our working lands.

We quickly realized that a disconnected patchwork of conserved wild lands was not enough. Our region was also losing important working lands—farms and forests. Challenging the status quo by cutting across traditional boundaries and ideologies, we built a big tent of people interested in changing our region’s course. We delivered results.

1990s

We had already conserved 100,000 acres of land but knew more was needed to safeguard the next 100 years.

To sustain this place into the next century, we knew we needed a much bigger vision. We met, brainstormed and collaborated with 4,500 people across the region to map out a pair of ambitious plans—The Cascade and Olympic Agendas.

These Agendas drew attention to the influence our built world has on the health of all our landscapes and identified two key goals: 1) Protect 1.3 million acres of working forest, farms, shorelines, parks and natural areas; 2) Make cities and towns great places to live, work and raise families.

2003

Launching the agendas changed the game, linking community and conservation; people and place.

“All you’ve got to do is open your eyes to see the land changing beneath your feet. ...To meet these challenges, we have got to work together. ...We’re all in the same canoe and we have got to learn to paddle together.”

Our mission hasn’t changed, only the means to get there.

The world is changing at an accelerated clip, yet in our talks with thousands of our neighbors across the region, we heard the continued yearning for the same basic things: a place with affordable housing, open spaces and safe communities; jobs with manageable commutes; good schools for our kids.

The interconnectedness of the natural, built and now the social world is key to unlocking solutions to a resilient region. To save nature we must solve human problems. Through the prism of land, Forterra is committed to addressing the quality of the underlying social fabric that binds us. This place is who we are.